Stuck In The Middle With You
by SkullsorPuppies
Summary: A severed finger sent to CID tests Alex and Gene's relationship to the limits. Will they finally resolve their issues with each other, or is this the last straw?
1. Chapter 1

_"I think I'm insane. What do you think?"_

_She sits with her ankles crossed around the bar stool, her fingers grasping a glass of cheap wine for dear life, her other hand lost in a forest of carefully styled curls. Her off-the-shoulder blouse is even more off-the-shoulder than it's supposed to be- but at least her makeup is still immaculate._

_The man watches her with a mix of confusion and fascination. He's not quite sure how she, or he himself, for that matter, got here, but he's pretty happy to just sit and listen to her. Better than sitting at home with a girlie magazine and a hand down his trousers- tonight he might actually have sex with a woman instead of his right hand._

_He smiles at her strange question- he kind of wants to say yes, just to see her reaction, but, as usual, politeness wins._

_"I really couldn't say."_

_She laughs._

_What a complete idiot, she thinks. He's a skinny 30-something creep with a greasy face, sideburns and what looks suspiciously like nose hair, but right now all she needs is someone to listen to her._

_"You see, just a few days ago... I was... suspended. I'm a police officer, you see."_

_"Oh?"_

_"Yes, but... well, yes, I was suspended."_

_"Why?"_

_Her eyes darken and the corners of her mouth curl under._

_"Because my DCI's a prick."_

Alex knew it was going to be a bad day as soon as she saw the Guv.

He stormed in 10 minutes late, his eyes ablaze. He stepped to the front of them and surveyed them all, a look of obvious disgust on his face. Alex watched him curiously- Gene was a pretty angry man in general, but never this angry. Finally, he spoke.

"All right, you useless pack of tossers, it appears we have a murder on our hands."

There was a murmur around the room. As insensitive as it sounds, they were excited to actually have an exciting case to work on- they'd been doing paperwork all week.

Alex raised her eyebrow. "Really? Since when?"

"Since SOMEONE," he growled, pulling a brown parcel out of his pocket and slapping it down on Alex's desk, "Sent THIS, to ME!"

Alex opened the parcel and gasped in horror.

"What is it? Let us see!", Ray called.

"It's a... it's a finger."

And it was.

It was a ring finger, by the looks of it- white as milk, a disgusting sight to see. Shaz gagged, and delicately put a hand over her lipsticked mouth.

"If it's just a finger, how do we know he's dead?", Ray asked.

"You can tell- there's no blood around it or anything, so they took it off after they killed him."

"Hold on, why "he"?"

"Doesn't it look like a man's finger?"

"ENOUGH!", Gene roared. "All I want to know is whose sodding finger this is and where I can find the bastard who sent it to me!"

"Hang on, he sent this to you? Personally?". Alex's eyes widened. No wonder he was so upset.

"Your powers of deduction still astound me, Bolly."

"That's unusual. Maybe it's someone you knew?"

His gaze bore into hers with intensity. Alex was surprised- it was one of those rare moments where she could actually see human emotion in Gene's face. She realized, then, that this finger hadn't just angered him- it had genuinely scared him, for exactly the reason Alex had just said. He was scared for ...

Alex frowned. She couldn't think of anyone who Gene cared for- at least not anyone who wasn't sitting in CID right now.

She looked back into her Guv's eyes and tried to show him that she understood, that she cared, too.

"Let's just get this done." Gene's voice was low and dangerous.

"Don't worry, Guv. You can count on us."

"Oh, joy," he sneered, and stomped into his office.

"What a charming man," Shaz said, drily.

And so their day began.


	2. Chapter 2

**Just wanted to thank you all for the kind reviews, and to say that I have every intention of continuing the story to the very end. I can promise you that this story is going in a ver**y **definite direction, and that things, as always, are not as they seem... And yes, there will be Galex.  
**

**Curious? Then KEEP THE HELL READING!**

"Guv, I really shouldn't have to do this-"

"Oh, don't worry, Shaz! It's only a matter of life or death! So unless you want blood on your hands, I suggest you do as you're bloody told!"

Shaz scowled at Gene, her brown eyes narrow, and walked off, passing Alex, who was standing in the doorway. Her eyebrows lowered in confusion.

"What on earth did you want her to do?"

"Make me a coffee, why?"

Alex rolled her eyes. "That girl should be working on the case with the others, not running off to make you coffee. She's just as capable as them. Probably more capable-"

"Yeah, whatever, Bolly, do you have the files or not?"

Alex held out the stack of papers in her arms.

"All right then", he said, and started to walk away.

"Gene?", Alex called after him.

He stopped. The fact that she'd used his first name, and the strange, almost tender urgency in her voice, had intrigued him just enough that he turned around. He stood still before her, and looked her up and down. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke.

"What is it now?", he asked.

Alex swallowed, looking deep into his blue eyes. She desperately wanted to get this right, to make him feel better. She wanted to believe that she had the power to do that.

"If this is... someone you know... care about, even... If that person's name is right here in these files, I just want to let you know that we're here for you."

She lost her nerve, and had to look away from him. Her eyes sank to the papers in her hands.

Gene stared at her, his eyes pensive. The way she was behaving confused him- she was weaker somehow, more vulnerable. He couldn't tell if he liked the change or not.

"You really don't have to worry about that, Bolly."

Alex looked up- she'd been expecting this answer, in a way.

"Why is that?", she asked.

"Well, all the people I give the faintest toss about are standing in this room." He took a step towards her and, to Alex's shock, took her hand in his.

"You got all 10 fingers, Bolly?", he said quietly.

"Uh, well, yes-"

"Then I'm fine. Now stop getting all mushy and feminine and get to bloody work!"

And with that, he dropped her hand and walked off.

Alex was reeling.

_Did he just imply that he cared about me?_

She stood there for a few moments, for the first time in a long time, speechless.

Did it make her feel... happy? Did she like the idea that he saw her as more than a colleague?

How strange.

After a few moments, she shrugged it off and walked towards Chris and Ray, who had their legs up on their cluttered desks, cigarettes in between their fingers.

_He only meant it as a colleague anyway, _she thought.

And then... dissapointment. Intense and stinging.

Alex was shocked at herself. What was wrong with her today?

Alex tried to ignore the stream of emotion and slapped the folders in her arms down on the desk, making Chris and Ray jump.

"Bugger me sideways!"

"What the hell are these, then?"

Alex smiled grimly, her eyes boring into those of the two startled police officers, and when she spoke, she sounded older that she ever had.

"The papers back from the lab. We've identified the finger."


	3. Chapter 3

Gene Hunt was sitting in his office, failing miserably in his attempt to get some paperwork done.

_Useless bloody paperwork._

He kept glancing through the window in his door. as his DI spoke to Ray and Chris. A part of him wanted to just sit and watch, let her get on with it on her own, but another part of him badly wanted, needed, to know who that finger belonged to.

_Just out of curiosity. Pure, simple curiosity._

He supposed, ultimately, it didn't matter. No matter whose finger it was he was going to make sure the whole team put in 110 percent.

Gene looked back at his paperwork.

_I don't need to know whose finger it is. It doesn't even matter to me_

_Not at all._

_

* * *

_

The Guv burst through the door of his office, and headed straight for Alex.

"Well, Bolly? Made any bloody progress yet?"

Alex looked up, amused. "Not in the 2 minutes since we last talked, Guv."

Ray snicked, and Gene scowled in anger. He didn't like being disrespected- particularly not by useless detective sergeants with ridiculous hairstyles.

"Well, surely you've succeeded in opening the file and reading the piece of paper that says whose murder we're investigating? Or is that too sodding difficult for you?"

"Oh, well... yes. That, we did do."

There was a long, awkward pause. Alex smiled innocently up at Gene, apparently no longer worried about how he felt about all this.

_What is she bloody smiling for?_

"Well... whose is it, then?"

"Guv, it's alright, really-"

"WHOSE IS IT?"

His yell echoed around the walls of CID.

Chris glanced at Alex. The look seemed to say, _Just tell him the bloody name._

Alex turned to Gene and looked him right in the eyes. Finally, after what felt like years, Alex told him.

"A Rebecca Waters. Mean anything to you?"

Relief crashed over Gene like a wave on a beach. His entire posture loosened, and the look of nervousness and stress disappeared from his face. _Thank God, _he thought. _That name means nothing to me._

"Nope, never heard of her", he said, relishing the words.

Alex smiled. "That's what I thought."

"Now let's get to work."

Alex's smile grew wider.

"Great minds truly do think alike."

He looked down at her, not quite serious, but not quite joking.

"We are one hell of a team."

Alex nodded.  
"You know what? We really are."

* * *

Just one hour of intense research later, Alex had slapped together a presentation for the team. Gene had wanted her to find out who this girl was, where she was from, anything that could have made her a target. She stood before the group, and began.

"Rebecca Waters was a 35 year old woman who lived here in Fenchurch. No kids, not much notable family to speak of. No friends... No record. We couldn't even find a photo."

Alex stood in front of CID, the whiteboard behind her. She and Chris had stuck on what they could find about Rebecca- which was little. Very little.

"The only person we could find who had any real connection to her whatsoever was a woman named Meredith Berry... she was her next door neighbor-"

"All right then," Gene said, standing up. "Let's bring her in."

Alex's eyes widened in shock.

"Guv, she's 73! She's weak, she's just a little old lady, we can't possibly-"  
But he was already out the door. She groaned.

_Typical. Just typical._

But for some reason, as always, she found herself right behind him, her red high heels click-clacking against the tiles as she left CID, slamming the heavy door behind her.


	4. Chapter 4

Alex sat in the back of the Quattro, next to Chris. Ray sat in the front next to Gene- who was, of course, driving like madman. Alex usually sat in the front, but for some reason she had felt squeamish about being too close to the Guv.

Alex shook her head at herself. She was behaving like a child.

But still...

Alex now noticed that Chris was poking her. She smiled carefully and turned to him.

"What is it, Chris?" she asked in a low voice.

"Well, boss, I mean, ma'am, I was just curious about something."

"What was that?"

"Well... how did you know the Guv didn't know Rebecca Waters? I mean, you just sort of... knew."

"Oh!"

Alex blushed. She knew Gene couldn't hear her- he had the radio blasting and her and Chris were whispering- but she was still reluctant to answer the question.

"Well, I just sort of... assumed. I mean, she's a woman... a fairly young one-"

"She's in her mid thirties, ma'am,"

Alex glared at him dangerously, raising one eyebrow.

"And?"

Chris was flustered.

"Uh, uh... Carry on."

"Well... as I said, a fairly young woman. Not much of a social life. I just thought... I just didn't see how Gene- I mean, the Guv- would know a woman like that. I mean, he doesn't... get out much, does he?"

"Well, I suppose you're right. But how could you have been sure? I mean... you're just sort of... guessing. Based on what you know about him."

Alex smiled at Chris, her eyes shining.

"That's psychology for you, Chris."

* * *

After a few minutes of reckless driving, they had arrived. The group stood before a huge block of flats- the walls gray and bleak. No plants, no garden. Just a block of gray.

Ray was unimpressed.

"Is this it, then?"

Alex scoffed. "What did you expect, a cottage?"

"Well... yeah, sort of."

Gene scowled. "Could you useless tarts stop gossiping and start breaking down doors!"

Alex rolled her eyes. "Inspirational, Guv."

They made their way up the 3 flights of stairs until they got the right apartment. Alex insisted they ring the doorbell. She pressed her finger against the button and they all waited. After just a few seconds, the door was answered.

By a man. And a fairly young one.

Alex's eyes widened with surprise, but Gene smiled.

"Well, look what we have here. Meredith Berry, I presume,"

The man looked flustered.  
"Oh, that's my, ah, aunt... I'm looking after the flat while she's on holiday."

"How long has she been on holiday?"

"A few weeks-"

"Right.

Gene grabbed him by the back of the neck, and threw him against the wall. The man, taken by surprise, fell in a heap. Gene pulled him back up by the collar, and brought his face close.

"I got your little present."

Gene looked him right in the eyes, his voice almost shaking with rage.

"But here's the thing-"

Gene punched him in the stomach.  
"My birthday was last month."

And with that, Gene threw him back to the floor.

* * *

20 minutes later, the man sat in the interview room back at the station, his face bruised and his nose bloody. His name was Michael Berry- he'd been telling the truth about Meredith being his aunt, at least. Alex and Gene sat opposite him- Alex doing her best to look kind a reassuring, while Gene lit a cigarette.

"Michael," Alex began. "What does the name Rebecca Waters mean to you?"

Michael's eyes widened.

"Rebecca? I... wasn't she my aunt's neighbor?"

"What do you mean, "wasn't"?"

"What?"

"You said, "wasn't". Not "isn't". Why would you say "wasn't"?"

"She... she disappeared."

"When?"

"Last week."

"How do you know this?"

"Everyone in the building knows. It just... got around."

"So you never talked to Rebecca?"

"No, not at all. She wasn't very social at all."

Alex nodded, and looked pointedly at Gene. He sighed.

"Any other information that could help us? About Rebecca?"  
"Well... ah, I saw her a few times. Redhead, green eyes. Skinny. She..." he looked up. "She went to the church a lot. You should ask them about her, they'd know a lot."

"Right." Alex smiled. "Thank you. You've been very helpful."

* * *

"What do you think?"

"I think he's innocent. Everything he said checks out, and he helped us with the case."

"Unfortunately, I agree with you."

Alex smiled. "How unusual."

"I never said you were stupid. Just... feminine."

Alex laughed. "So, we let him go?"

"Fine."

Alex started to walk away. Gene called after her.

"You're also emotional!"

Alex laughed as she opened the door to CID, and as the door closed Gene yelled something else to her.

She never did hear what it was.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Once again, thank you for the kind reviews! I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it :)**_

* * *

They were all just sitting around in CID when the phone rang.

Shaz immediately jumped up and answered. She started to speak, but before she could do so she was interrupted. As she listened to the voice at the other end of the line, the others could only watch as every drop of blood drained out of her face. Her eyes widened in shock, her mouth dropped in horror, and she started shaking uncontrollably.

CID was frozen as they watched her, their ears straining to hear the mysterious voice.

Chris was in a panic.

"Shaz? Shaz, what's wrong?"

Shaz spun around in shock and stared at Chris for a second. For that moment, everyone in the room seemed to disappear, except them. They were transfixed by each other.

The moment came to an abrupt halt when Shaz dropped the phone and ran out of the room.

"Shaz- Shaz, wait!", Chris cried, and followed after her.

Alex hastily picked up the phone, and put it to her ear.

"Who is this?", she snapped.

For a few seconds, silence. And then-

"The St. Catherine Cree Church," came a breathy whisper. It sounded like a man's voice, but Alex couldn't be sure.

"Who is this? What do you want?", Alex yelled, but whoever it was had hung up.

She slammed the phone down, and reflexively turned to Gene. He had been watching her while she was on the phone, and his face was a curious mix of worry, curiosity and anger.

Alex just stared at him for a moment, lost. She didn't know what to do, or where she was, or what was happening. All she knew for sure was that Gene was there- her constant.

As for Gene, the look on Alex's face worried him just enough that he got up and started to walk out of CID. Alex snapped out of her trance.

"Guv! Guv, wait a minute-"

"We have to ask Shaz what they said to her. It's the key."

"Well, alright, but give her a minute."

Gene actually stopped and looked at her, incredulous. "Why?"

Alex faltered.

"She might still be upset. And her and Chris might... want some privacy."

Gene snorted. "Bollocks."

Alex's eyes widened. "What is?"

He ignored her and kept walking down the hall. Alex didn't know why, but she had to stop him. She was sure that Shaz wouldn't be ready to talk, and Gene was just going to burst in and make her feel worse.

_How can I stop him?_

After just a moment's though, she knew the answer, and as much as it mortified her, she knew she had to try it.

Alex ran after Gene, and, having caught up to him, stood directly in front of him, blocking his way.

He rolled his eyes at her.

"Get out of my way, Bolly."

"Do you think love is bollocks, Gene?"

Gene looked so taken aback by her question it was almost funny. Alex gazed into Gene's eyes.

"What?", he asked, his voice dry.

"Love? Do you really think it's bollocks?"

Alex took a step towards Gene, who looked completely lost.

"I never said that."

"Answer my question."

Alex looked down and then looked up a Gene from under her eyelashes. She stuck her chest out at him, one hand on her hip.

Gene's eyes widened.

_What the bloody hell is she doing?_

"I think Chris and Shaz are too young to know anything about it", he finally said.

Alex smiled, and took another step forward. They were almost touching now.

"But you're not too young, are you Gene?"

She looked into his eyes.

"And neither am I."

She saw something click in Gene's eyes at that moment.

_Oh._

They stood there staring at each other for what felt like for ever. They were both starting to see something- something very confusing, but at the same time, very interesting.

It was only when Chris burst in that they realized their heads had been getting closer together.

"Am I interrupting something?", Chris asked.

Gene and Alex snapped out of their trances, and jumped away from each other.

"Of course not, Chris. Don't be... don't be silly", Alex mumbled, smoothing down her hair. Gene watched her behavior with amusement. She glared at him.

"How's Shaz?", Gene asked, trying to hide a smile.

Chris blushed.

"She's feeling a bit better. She was asking for you."

Alex nodded. "Where is she?"

"The lost and found."

* * *

They found Shaz sitting on the floor, with mascara streams down her face and her hair in a mess. She smiled weakly at the three of them.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to be any trouble."

Alex smiled as she sat down next to Shaz.

"It's no trouble, Shaz. Do you feel better?"

"Yes. And no. It doesn't matter. But you need to know what he said."

Gene raised an eyebrow. "So it was a bloke?"

Shaz looked up at him. "Yeah, I think so."

Alex shook her head, impatient. "But Shaz, what we need to know is what he said."

She looked straight into the young girl's eyes.

"What's St. Catherine Cree Church?", Alex asked, slowly and carefully.

Shaz smiled bitterly.

"It's where he buried her."


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you so much for reviews, and please keep them coming! This story is such a joy to write, and I hope you enjoy this chapter! It's a big 'un.**

* * *

_The man looked at Alex, confusion in his eyes._

_Alex paused, and turned back towards him, irritated that she had to stop telling her story._

"_Something wrong?", she asked._

"_There's just something I don't understand."_

_Alex sighed. "What?"_

"_Well, your DCI... Gene... you said that he's a prick. But you two seemed to get along quite well. He doesn't seem all that bad-"_

"_No!", Alex growled, running her hand through her curls. "You've got it wrong!"_

_The man widened his eyes. "I have?"_

"_Yes! He is all that bad... us getting along well was just a... a charade. A trick."_

_He raised an eyebrow. "On his part or yours?"_

_Alex looked back into her wine glass, gazing deep into the pools of scarlet liquid, wishing she could just jump in and drown in it._

_Instead of answering, she continued the story._

_

* * *

_

"You sure this is the right place?"

"Positive."

"Alright. Let's look around. Rebecca's body shouldn't be too hard to find- especially since the killer seems to want us to find her."

The officers separated from each other and began to search the front lawn of one of the prettiest churches you could imagine. It was polished and modern, with beautiful glass windows and a majestic wooden door. The voices of a choir were audible, sweet and clear.

An unlikely scene for a murder.

As Alex had predicted, it didn't take long to find the body- it was only covered by about 10 inches of soil and some leaves, it was really quite strange it hadn't already been found. The body was still relatively fresh- a week old at the most.

She was as Michael had described- redhead, skinny.

But the reason they were sure they'd got the right body was that she only had nine fingers.

It was Chris who found her.

"Guv?", he called, his voice shaking.

The team rushed over, and observed the body.

"No one touch her", Alex murmured, "But are there any obvious causes of death that we can see?"

"Bruise on her throat", Ray suggested. "Maybe she was strangled."

Alex nodded to him. "Good point."

Gene was oddly quiet as he surveyed the corpse, and when uniform took her away, he stood still in his spot, staring at the ground she had lain on. Alex saw this, and walked over, placing her hand on his arm.

"Something wrong, Gene?"

Gene snapped out of his trance, and just looked at Alex. The way her hand was almost caressing his arm, the way her soft voice seemed to curl tenderly around his name, the way her eyes looked at him with devotion, faith, a need to comfort him.

He couldn't handle it.

He snatched him arm away. "Don't touch me, Drake," he snapped, his voice cold as ice.

She stared at him, shocked. "Gene, I-"

"I think someone needs to inform you about what is and isn't appropriate in the workplace. Number 1, never touch me. Number 2, never call me by my first name. And number 3, put some a bloody clothes on. You'll offend the churchgoers."

He started to walk away, but Alex, tears forming in her eyes, stopped him.

"How can you say those things?"

Her voice shook and broke on the last word, but the message came through.

There was a long, long pause. Finally, Gene turned around and gave Alex a glare that made her take a step backwards.

"I can say those things," he said, "because I have lost all respect for you. Only sluts like you would try and shag their bosses for the sake of a raise. You're a liar, Drake. And I hate liars."

This time Alex didn't quite have the strength to stop him leaving.

* * *

Tears were falling down her cheeks, and hard as she tried, she couldn't wipe them away.

She didn't really know what he was talking about, but it didn't matter. She hadn't been trying to shag him, but he didn't care. She was angry and humiliated, and (as much as she hated to admit it) deeply hurt. How could he think those things of her, let alone say them aloud?

She felt dirty. He had made her feel that way. Because no matter how much she tried to deny it, he had that kind of power over her.

She walked around the back of the church and desperately tried to put herself back together. She scrabbled around for her makeup, and tried to wipe away the mascara streams down her face, wishing she could wipe away the words Gene had burned into her brain.

* * *

At the front of the church, Gene was thinking. His mind was a mess of conflicting thoughts, but one was prominent- _What the hell is wrong with you ?_

He couldn't believe himself. The way he had treated Alex was horrible, even for him. She'd only been trying to help. The image of her hurt face was dancing before his eyes, taunting him.

He was aching to run around the back of the church and comfort her, somehow, but he knew he couldn't. _She probably hates me, _Gene thought. _And I don't blame her._

A few seconds later, Ray approached Gene.

"You alright, Guv?"

Gene looked at Ray, his eyes troubled and his mouth set in a frown. "Not quite, Ray."

Ray furrowed his eyebrows. "How come?"

Gene sighed. "Well, for one thing I just accused Drake of doing something she didn't do for no good reason other than my own stupidity, and for another..."

There was a pause. Ray raised his eyebrows expectantly. Gene didn't usually put himself down. Ever. What was it about Drake that had such an odd effect on him? His eyes were lost, his face pale, and for some reason he kept trying to look around the back of the church.

He wasn't saying anything, apparently lost in thought, so Ray had to prompt him.

"And for another...?"

Gene looked into the sky, lost in it.

"There's something odd about Rebecca's body."

"What's odd about it?"

Gene looked back and Ray, and when he spoke he sounded old and sad.

"What's odd about it is that I recognize her."


	7. Chapter 7

**Just a short little chapter to clear up a few questions... and to pose a few more :) **

**PS: reviews make me happy :)  
**

* * *

"_No! Please, just- stop!"_

_Gene stopped walking. Did he just hear what he thought he heard?_

_He was walking down the street, and it was 1 am. He was, admittedly, pissed, and was having a little trouble finding his way back to the Quattro. He was completely alone and the way the tall shadows of the lampposts stretched over the road was starting to freak him out._

_He scoffed at himself._

_The Gene Genie doesn't get freaked out by lampposts._

_But when he heard the scream- for a scream it was, that of a woman, by the sound of it, he had stopped in his tracks, and listened._

_After a second or two, he heard something else._

"_Shut up, you stupid bitch. You asked for this."_

_That did it._

_Gene was off like a bullet towards where he thought the voices were coming from- a dark alley down the end of the street. As he ran, he fumbled for his gun. He dropped it, but then picked it back up and kept running. After ages, it seemed to him, he was there._

_He ran into the alley and saw, pretty much, exactly what he'd been expecting. _

_A tall, hairy man in a tank top and baggy jeans was standing over a woman- late twenties, early thirties, he guessed- with his fist raised. He had stuffed a rag in her mouth to shut her up, and there was blood coming out of her nose. He could see tears from her eyes mixing with the blood, and the sight disgusted him._

_He stood before them, and held out his gun._

"_You're surrounded by... an armed bastard!", he said, managing to not slur his words. At least, not very much. "DCI Gene Hunt, I am a police officer. Step away from the girl."_

_As soon as the man saw Gene, he got up and ran, right past him. Gene was so surprised he didn't manage to grab him, and when he fired, he missed._

_I wish I weren't so bloody drunk, he thought, cursing himself._

_He decided there was no point in chasing after the man, so instead he ran to the woman and kneeled down next to her._

"_You alright, love?", he asked her, taking out the gag._

_She gasped for air, and looked at him with...  
Gene couldn't really describe it. She looked grateful, yes, but not entirely happy to be saved._

_She immediately tried to get up, but gasped in pain and had to sit back down._

"_Hold on a minute, love- give yourself a breather. You've just been beaten up."_

_The woman looked at him in shock, and then started to cry again._

_Gene couldn't see her very well in the dark, but he could see that the girl was thin, and fairly attractive. Not his cup of tea, though._

"_Now, look... I know this is difficult for you, but I need you to tell me that man's name."_

_The woman started crying harder, and tried to get up again- this time succeeding._

"_I don't know his name!"_

_She started walking away, and Gene immediately got up too. Why wasn't she cooperating?_

"_But we need to catch him-"  
"NO!", she wailed, and stopped. She looked him right in the eyes, and spoke slowly and clearly._

_She'd apparently thought this through._

"_Don't go after him. I can deal with this myself."_

_Gene almost rolled his eyes. Bloody women._

"_Love, that's not the way it-"_

"_Please, just leave me alone!"_

"_Can't you at least tell me your name?"_

_But she was already running away. Gene tried to go after her, but he gave up- she was too fast._

_Her hair gleamed red in the light of the lampposts._

_

* * *

_**Oooh! So, yes... that's how he recognised Rebbeca, but not by name. Hope you enjoyed this half-chapter :)**_  
_


	8. Chapter 8

Alex looked up, slowly, to meet Gene's eyes.

"So, you did know her?"

The atmosphere was awkward- both trying to speak around the giant barrier in between them.

Gene was, of course, refusing to apologise for his earlier behaviour and Alex was far too proud to ask him to anyway. They were forced to carry on work as usual.

Gene sighed at Alex's question before answering it.

"Yes... and no. But that's irrelevant. What's important here is that we now have something to go on."

Alex just nodded, and then got up, before walking to the whiteboard. She turned to the rest of CID, took a deep breath and began to speak

"Right, everyone... we have new information. It seems that Rebecca was being beaten up- probably by someone she knew- and it's also quite probable that he had something to do with her death. Shaz-"

Alex paused and smiled at the girl, who was still a bit shaky after the phone call.

"_Dear_ Shaz talked to some of the people at the church, and quite a few of them actually knew Rebecca. When we asked them about boyfriends, we got information about two separate men."

Alex paused and looked around, to see how the others reacted, and then continued.

"They didn't seem to know very much about them- but they knew that one worked at the Black Widow pub, had dark hair and split up with her a couple months ago, and the other lived near her and they had been dating for a couple months."

There was a long pause. Finally, Ray spoke up.

"So what you're saying is..."

Alex sighed.

"What I'm saying is, we have TWO suspects, and one of them worked at the Black Widow pub-"

The others immediately brightened up.

"I'm sorry but, did you say pub?"  
Alex smiled tiredly.

"Yes," she muttered. "I said pub."

* * *

Chris and Shaz had been sent to investigate the pub, whilst the rest of CID had remained at the station. The walked slowly down the street before coming to a stop in front of the pub.

"This is it," Shaz murmured. "The Black Widow."  
They walked up to the door and pushed it open.

It was a pretty manky place- the floor was dirty, splattered with beer and squashed chips. There were only a couple of people there, and a big burly man stood at the bar.

He grunted at them. "What can I do for you?"

Chris smiled nervously. "We're, ah, police officers. We're instigating- I mean, investigating a murder. Would you mind answering a few questions?"

The barman furrowed his brows and glared at them.

"Fine. But don't be too long."

"Alright... was there ever a man who worked here- mid thirties, tall, dark hair?"  
The barman considered.

"There have been a couple guys, yeah."

"OK... did any of them ever bring in their girlfriend to the pub, by any chance?"

"One did, yeah."

"What did she look like?"

"Erm... skinny, red hair?"

Shaz grinned at Chris. This was just perfect. Chris was getting more excited.

"What was his name?"  
"George or something. George Sanders, I think. We used to work the bar together."

Shaz stopped smiling and wrinkled her brow in confusion.

"Used to?", she asked.

"I haven't seem him in ages. No one has. He just disappeared."

Chris raised an eyebrow. "Disappeared?"

"Yeah, mate. Disappeared. Right into-"

"Do you mind if we have a look around?", Shaz interjected.

The barman scowled at her, but realising he had no choice, simply nodded.

* * *

"Guv?"

Gene looked up from his paperwork as Alex stepped into his office. Usually she just burst in, but today she seemed almost nervous. He felt guilt tugging at his heart, and almost apologised right then and there on the spot.

Almost.

"Come in, Drake," he muttered.

_Drake, is it?, _Alex thought, but quickly brushed the thought away.

"I've been doing some research into Rebecca's building-"

"Why?"

"Because Rebecca's second boyfriend was supposed to be a neighbour, remember?"

"Oh, right."

"Well, yes, I did some research, and I found something quite interesting."

She paused.  
"Just spit it out, Bolly," Gene muttered.

"I was looking at the residents- of which there aren't very many, by the way, only about ten people- and 4 are male, 2 of which are single and only one of which is in his mid thirties."  
Gene looked at her.

"What?", he asked.

She looked deep in his eyes, unable to hide her excitement.

"Only one man fits the description we got of Rebecca's boyfriend. The man she was going out with when she died."

Gene's eyes widened. "Who?"

Alex smiled grimly.

"Michael Berry."

* * *

"Shaz, what are we doing? The guy said George barely worked here-"

"Well, we might as well look! You never know, there might be something of his here, a clue, something..." Shaz sighed. "I don't want to go back empty handed.

"All right, all right." Chris sighed.

They were walking around the kitchens of the pub, opening cupboards, searching drawers. They had been looking for half an hour and found nothing, but Shaz insisted they keep going.  
Chris had complained, but he continued none the less.

Anything for Shaz.

"Shaz?'  
"Yeah, Chris?"

"I like, your, er... Jacket."

Shaz grinned. "Thanks! It's new-"

"Yeah, I could tell."

They smiled at each other and kept working.

_This is going quite well, _Chris thought walking into a little hall. He noticed a door- to a pantry or something, he didn't know- and walked towards it.

_If only me and Shaz were still together..._ Chris thought, putting his hand on the knob. _I really miss her._

He turned the knob.

"Chris?", Shaz called.

"Yeah?", Chris replied, opening the door.

But before Shaz could reply, Chris screamed, complete fear taking him over.

Because a body had fallen out of that cupboard.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hope you all enjoy this chapter- it's one of my personal favorites :)**

* * *

_Alex paused, noticing something._

"_What is it?", the man asked._

_A new song had come on- a slow, sad piano with a husky woman's voice over the top._

"_I know this song." Alex said. _

_The man smiled. "Do you?"_

"_Yes, but there's something odd about it. Didn't-"_

"_Please," the man said. "Keep going. I want to know what happens."_

"_Alright," she eventually said, but something about the song was bothering her._

"_Nothing you confess... would make me love you less..."_

_

* * *

_

The next day, CID was in a frenzy.

George Sanders had been murdered. Michael Berry had been lying about not knowing Rebecca.

But that wasn't all.

Gene's flat had been trashed.

The whole department went silent, and Alex couldn't help but gasp when he told them.

She cursed herself afterwards. _He's an arse, you don't care about him. Don't let him know that you care..._

"What happened, Guv?", Chris asked.

"I don't bloody know, do I? All I know was that when I got home my flat was in even worse a state than the one I left it in!"

"Was anything missing", Alex asked, quietly.

Gene looked at her. "No," he said.

Actually, something had been missing. But he would rather give up whisky for a month than tell Alex what it was.

She looked at him carefully- she could tell he wasn't being completely honest. But she wasn't about to call him a liar, as much as she wanted to hurt him right now. The way he'd hurt her...

"Well," she said, "that probably means they just wanted to scare you. Which means-"

She stood up, and grinned at the whole of CID.

"-We're getting close."

There were a few whoops and cheers.

Gene stood next to Alex, and, putting the worried thoughts at the back of his mind, smiled at her.

"Now let's pull in that Michael bastard."

Alex smiled back, but it didn't reach her eyes.

_We're not quite back yet, _her eyes seemed to say. _But thanks for trying._

_

* * *

_

Shaz and Chris had already interrogated the barman- and he hadn't known about the body. He said the closet the corpse had been in was hardly ever used, and since the body was only a few days old it made sense that no one had smelled it. The pub smelled pretty bad already, to be honest.

George had been stabbed in the chest multiple times, indicating an amateur killing. Rebecca had been strangled- it bothered Alex a little that the two had been killed different ways, as it indicated that they had been killed by different people.

But she pushed that tiny niggling fact to the back of her mind when she went into the interrogation room with Gene.

As they stepped in, they saw him- a pale, sweating wreck of a man, curled up the chair like a child.

"You've been bad, Michael", Alex murmured.

The man looked up at her and Gene and went pale.

"Please... I can explain...".

"What if we're done listening?"

Gene pulled Michael's chair back, threatening to tip it over.

Alex sat down opposite Michael, trying very hard to hide a smile.

"Last chance, Michael- tell us how you knew Rebecca, and no porkies this time."

"OK, OK! I'll tell you!"

Gene stared into his eyes, before grunting and letting go of the chair. Michael yelped as his chair fell back into place, and Gene went around and sat down next to Alex. They both looked at Michael expectantly.

Apart, they were intimidating. As a united front, they were just plain terrifying.

Michael swallowed loudly and began.

"Rebecca was... we... we were together. As soon as I met her, it was just... I just knew. Knew she was the one."

Alex raised an eyebrow. She was trying not to look at Gene, just as he was trying not to look at her.

"So you were in love?"

"Yes, very much so. But she had... an ex-boyfriend. George."

Alex nodded. "We know about him."

"He... he stalked her. He was always asking for money, and... and other things. I wanted to protect her, but... I wasn't... I'm not strong enough."

Alex nodded. _Poor man._

Gene scowled. _What a tosser._

"When she disappeared, I didn't... know what to think. And when you came to me, I just... I know I shouldn't have lied, but I knew I'd be a prime suspect if something had happened, and I just-"

"We understand," Alex murmured. "So you think George was the one who took her?"

"Yes," Michael said. "I'm sure of it. He came to her flat, he was the last one to be with her. I found his scarf in her flat."

"Right," Alex smiled. "Thank you for helping us. But next time, just tell us the truth."

"Of course," Michael smiled, already getting up. "Can I go?"

Alex's smiled turned grim. "Soon. We need you to do one more thing for us."

Michael was confused. "What?"

Gene looked him in the eyes. "We need you to identify a body."

The man gulped. "Whose?"

"I think you know the answer to that", Gene replied, his face bitter.

* * *

"Well, that's that, then," Gene sighed. "George was beating her, got a little out of control, killed her."

"No!", Alex growled. "Why would he send you the finger?"

"I don't know, maybe he was guilty, wanted to be caught? You're the bloody psychiatrist!"

"Psychologist! And that's my point- it doesn't make sense! And if he killed her, who killed him?"

"Probably killed himself! As I said, guilt."

"NO!"

Alex slammed her hands down on Gene's desk, causing him to jump back in surprise.

"Jesus Christ, Drake. control yourself-"

"You're just trying to close this case up nice and quick, you don't even care-"

"OF COURSE I CARE!"

Gene stood up, almost shaking with rage. His locked eyes with Alex, his gaze boring into hers.

_If looks could kill._..

"I saw that girl get beaten half to death by that rotten BASTARD, and then I couldn't even go after him. SHE WOULDN'T LET ME, DRAKE!"

"She loved him," Alex whispered.

She looked down at the floor, and then back up at Gene. "Sometimes you can't help which way you fall."

Gene looked at her in complete confusion. "What has LOVE," he said, disgusted, "got to do with ANYTHING?"

To be honest, Alex didn't know herself. She kept silent, not quite knowing what to say.

Gene surveyed her. "You know, Drake, you're really getting on my nerves. You're over-complicating everything, disrupting your colleagues, your superiors-"

"Oh, for God's sake-"

"I've got half a mind to suspend you, Drake!"

Alex stared at him in shock. "You can't do that!"  
"I bloody well can."

There was a long, long silence.

_Oh, shit, I didn't mean it, _Gene thought.

He was about to back out when Alex finally spoke.

"Fine," she snapped, pulling out her badge and slapping it down on the desk. "I'm suspended. Good luck with the case."

"Alex, I-"

"Bye, Guv."

And she opened his door and left, hoping he hadn't seen the tears glistening in her eyes.


	10. Chapter 10

**A shorter chapter... hope you guys still like it :) PS thank you for kind reviews :))**

* * *

Alex sat alone in her apartment- completely lost.

What was she going to do?

She already regretted her actions- it had been spiteful of her to just walk out like that, and completely ridiculous. She was aching to march back into that room, just to be there again.

But her feet were rooted to the ground- there was a tiny, immature little voice that desperately needed to stay away from CID.

_What if he doesn't want me to come back?_

_

* * *

_

After what felt like hours, Alex stood up. She was going on a walk- she wasn't sure why, she just needed to.

She left the apartment, dressed in her white leather jacket, a scarf and gloves, and walked out onto the street.

It was a cold, cold afternoon- her breath hung in the air like smoke, her eyes watered against the icy wind.

_I wonder what the others are doing, _Alex wondered.

Her high-heels click-clacked against the pavement and the sound echoed off the glass windows of the shops. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that she was alone.

She started walking faster, and it was then that she heard a sound. Faint, but definitely there. Alex stopped, and listened, hard. After a few seconds, she heard it again, and her heart sank.

A gunshot.

And then she was running, running like hell was after her, the pavement slipping under her shoes.

Click-clack, click-clack.

Bang bang!

Impossibly, Alex ran faster.

"Step back! I've got him, you come closer I'll blow his brains out!", she heard.

_I know that voice._

She was almost there, thankfully. Whoever this man was taking hostage didn't have much time, she would need to negotiate with him.

Finally, mercifully, she reached the place where the sounds were coming from- it was an dark alley up the end of the street. She took one look at the scene in front of her, and screamed.

The sound echoed down the street, reverberating in every corner, and one of the men before her chuckled.

"Calm down, Alex. Don't move or I'll shoot. I'll kill Gene Hunt. And it'll be your fault"


	11. Chapter 11

**A very dramatic chapter that was hard for me to write... hope you all enjoy it, and hopefully it answers a few of your questions!**

**In fact, put any other questions in your reviews. Most I haven't answered on purpose, but... I might have forgotten a few :S**

**Wow I'm such a pro.**

**Anyways, enjoy :D**

**

* * *

**

Alex blinked, hard. Twice, three times.

But the picture wasn't going away.

_Oh, no. Oh, no no no..._

"Something wrong, Alex?"

Oh, that question had many answers.

For one, Gene Hunt was standing in front of her, completely helpless for probably the first time in his life, with a gun pressed to the side of his head.

For another, Ray and Chris, who were standing a few meters away from her, were completely powerless to help him.

And the cherry on the cake?

"Put the gun down, Michael. Just... just tell me what you want?"

Michael laughed manically. Alex couldn't be sure, but he sounded drunk.

"What do I want? What do I- I WANT MY GIRLFRIEND BACK, ALEX!"

Alex flinched in shock. Who was this man? The Michael she knew was weak and spineless.

But now he stood, his hair on end, his eyes wild. She was frightened of him, really and truly frightened.

"But...", he smiled. "Failing that..." He chuckled drily.

"Failing that... I want someone dead."

"No, no, Michael, please, just... just tell me what happened?"

"Oh, I can answer that for you, Drake," Gene muttered. "This tosser killed Rebecca."

"LIAR! I never killed her! It was George! It was-"

"Alright, but I'll bet you're the one who sent me that finger."

Michael gritted his teeth. "It was the only way to get your attention."

"No, Michael! It wasn't- you didn't have to-", Alex stumbled over her words, another first. She was having trouble talking through the tears coming down her cheeks.

_Just don't hurt him. Please, please don't let him get hurt..._

"Well, this so-called police officer didn't do anything! Your Gene Hunt! He SAW it, with his own EYES! He could have stopped it... He could have..."

And Michael started crying. Alex's heart broke for the man, despite herself.

Suddenly it all seemed very clear.

Michael was obviously in no state to keep going, so Alex finished the story herself.

"You killed George," she said quietly. "Because you knew... you knew he was the one who took Rebecca away. And... you blame Gene, too. For not having stopped it. For not doing anything before it was too late. You trashed Gene's house-"

Michael looked up at that, a wicked gleam in his eye.

"So I did. Which brings me to this."

And he brought a piece of paper out of his pocket.

Gene's eyes widened.

"PUT THAT AWAY!", he roared. "How could you- you little-"

"I found this", Michael yelled over Gene. "In his desk drawer. Quite sweet, really. Shall I read it to you?"

"NO! Drake, don't listen. He's-"

"Dear Alex. You know I don't usually go for this pansy bollocks, but I know you like letters. I'm sorry I said those things to you- I'm sorry I accused you of being a slut. I said it without thinking, and I hope you'll forgive me, because the truth is-"

"Shut up! Shut up now-"

"I really care about you."

The words hung in the air, as if Michael had written them there in indelible ink.

Alex didn't know what to think or how to feel, and Gene couldn't even look at her.

Ray and Chris didn't know where to look.

Michael grinned, relishing their discomfort. He finished reading the letter with glee.

"God, I sound like such a ponce. Right up your alley. Hope you can forgive me, Gene."

There were a few seconds of silence.

"That was supposed to be private-", Gene growled.

"SHUT UP!", Michael shrieked, pressing the gun harder into Gene's head.

Alex whimpered.

"What's... what's that got to do with anything, Michael?"

He looked back up at her as if he'd forgotten she was there.

"What? Oh, you mean love?"

He spat the word out like it was poisonous.

"Love- No, I mean-"

"Well, love, Alex," Michael said, his voice like ice, "has got everything to do with it."


	12. Chapter 12

**Sorry for long wait, mean cliffhanger, and short chapter... i'm a horrible person, obviously :S**

**but I can promise that with this chaper and the chapters to come will be plenty of drama :)**

**hope you enjoy and please review ;)  
**

* * *

Alex gulped.

"Just tell us what you want. I'm sure we can have a peaceful resolution-"

"It's simple, Alex. An eye for an eye. Gene was responsible for the death of the girl I cared about, so... I guess I'm just going to have to kill you."

Gene growled. "If you lay a finger on her-"

"Keep going, Michael."

The group froze, and stared at Alex in shock. Why was she cooperating with this madman?

The answer was simple.

Between dying herself, and letting Gene die because of her actions...

Alex chose to cooperate with Michael.

"I'll hand back Gene, if you come with me."

Alex took all of 2 seconds to make her decision.

"Fine."

"NO!", Gene roared. "Drake, you are not authorized to make this decision-"

"Great!" Michael smiled, and pushed Gene away from him, before quickly grabbing Alex's arm and pressing the gun to her head.

"No, ma'am... you... you can't-"

"I have no choice, Chris. Just don't worry about me-"

Gene pulled out his gun and aimed it at Michael, his eyes ablaze.

"Let the girl go or I shoot."

"Drop the gun or I kill her."

Gene just stared into Micheal's eyes for a moment, trying to test him.

After what seemed like years, Gene dropped the gun. The gun clattered onto the pavement.

There was nothing he could do and he knew it.

"I'll come after you," he finally managed.

"Good luck with that", Michael chuckled, before taking Alex down the alley- cruelly walking her right past Gene's nose- before pushing her into the back seat of his car and driving away.

* * *

"I miss the old Michael", Chris muttered.

Ray and Gene ignored him.

"Now what, Guv?" Ray asked.

"We go after him", Gene growled, his eyes set. "And we get her back. No matter what it takes."


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello again! Another short one, but I hope you like it all the same...**

* * *

_The man gazed at Alex, completely absorbed._

_She'd stopped, and was staring into the distance._

"_And then what?", he finally asked._

"_I... I must say, I don't remember."_

_That song had come on again... the same one._

"_It's that same song...", Alex murmured. _

"_What do you mean, you don't remember?"_

"_I don't! That's where my memory cuts off..."_

_She listened harder to the song- and suddenly she remembered where she'd heard it._

"_AH!", she exclaimed, grinning. "I know this song! It's "I'll Stand By You" by The Pretenders. It is, isn't it?"_

_The man nodded, smiling. "Yeah, I think you're right."_

_Then, Alex frowned. "Didn't this song come out in 1993?"_

_The man just stared at her, his eyes blank._

_Realization dawned on Alex, her heart sinking. She stood up, and looked around the bar, her legs shaking. She now realized the bar was completely unfamilar._

"_What is this place..."_

"_Alex..."_

"_This... this isn't real, is it? I'm dreaming..."_

_The man smiled a little. "That's a good theory, yes."_

"_Oh, God... I'm in the back of his car right now- Oh, the Guv!-"_

"_Don't worry, Alex. Just relax. It'll be all right. They'll be alright without you."_

"_I don't-"_

"_Sit down, Alex, have another drink... enjoy this while it lasts. Just relax."_

_Alex bit her lip, and, seeing the logic in the suggestion, sat back down._

"_Here," the man murmured, pouring her some more wine._

_Alex smiled at him. "Thanks, George."_


	14. Chapter 14

**Sorry for the long wait- I was away celebrating Christmas :) hope you all enjoy this chapter... this fic will be coming to an end soon.**

**

* * *

**

The three men stood at the front of CID. They had just walked into the room- full of bustle and noise, as usual- and had no idea how they were going to make their announcement. Shaz looked up at Chris and smiled, but he didn't smile back. She furrowed her brow in worry.

"Chris? Is something wrong? Ray? Guv?"

But they didn't reply.

After what seemed like years, Chris spoke.

"The ma'am's been taken" he said, his voice shaking.

The entire room went silent.

Chris looked around, absorbing all the shocked and horrified faces, and gulped. "It was... Michael... who killed George... Rebecca's ex boyfriend, Michael killed him. George killed Rebecca. Michael blames... uh, us. So... he took the ma'am. And he says- he says he's going to kill her." His voice cracked on the last words.

"But he's not going to," Gene growled. "Because we are going to get her back."

"How, guv? We have no idea where he could have taken her. For all we know, it's too-"

"DON'T!"

Ray went quiet again, and stared at his feet.

No one knew what to say. They had nothing. They were utterly helpless, and so was Alex.

Finally, Shaz whispered something.

"I think... I might know."

Gene frowned. "Speak up, sweetheart, didn't hear that."

"I said-" she sighed, and stood up. "I think I might know where he's taken her."

Gene rolled his eyes, and sat down in Ray's chair. "Well, that's very sweet, but how could you possibly know that?"

Shaz smiled a tiny smile. "Because he told me."

* * *

Alex woke up, bound and gagged in a white room. The first thing she saw was the door- it was painted a garish electric blue, and it stung to look at. She squirmed around, but Michael had tied her up tight. There was nothing for her to do but wait.

Wait to die.

She looked around the room- it was very small, tiny even, and completely empty. Although even if there had been something in the room, Alex doubted it would have helped her.

She relaxed against the wall, and realized she wasn't afraid. Nervous, yes, but not afraid.

She knew that it was extremely likely she would be dead in less than an hour, and that Michael would get clean away, but for some mad, insane reason none of that bothered her- one, tiny, little thought outweighed these facts by far.

_I saved him. He's safe because of me._

_

* * *

_

_I didn't save her. She's in danger because of me._

Even as Gene drove, even more madly than usual and barely avoiding pedestrians, he knew he could be too late. She was all alone, with that psycho... completely helpless.

Gene pressed down harder on the accelerator.

"Guv," Chris whimpered. "Do you think you might be going a bit too..."

Chris saw Gene's expression and trailed off, leaning back in his seat again.

_Please, God, let it not be too late... _

Alex gazed at the toes of her boots, smiling slightly.

She was trying not to think of what was coming, and instead of what the others might be doing.

_They'll all be at Luigi's now... eating lunch together. Laughing, smiling._

She smiled wider at the thought, and closed her eyes.

She heard the sound of footsteps outside, followed by the sound of keys jangling.

_This is it, _Alex thought. _This is where it ends._


	15. Chapter 15

**This is the last chapter. I hope this is satisfying end, and I hope you all enjoyed this fic. It's been an absolute pleasure to write, and I hope to write some more in the future. Your wonderful reviews are what made it worth it.  
**

**Enjoy :)**

**

* * *

**

BANG!

Alex jumped slightly at the sound, before straightening up.

_Sounds like a door being broken down, _Alex thought, before cursing herself. _Don't get your hopes up for nothing._

But she could see that Michael had stopped opening the door, and the first bang was followed by another- this one sounding more like a gunshot.

And then, a cacophonous symphony of sounds commenced outside her door, yells, shouts, gunshots, doors being slammed, things being smashed...

Alex ached to see what was happening but could only listen. It sounded like a war out there.

Finally, the door, slowly, opened, to reveal the man standing there.

Alex's face broke into a grin when she saw who it was.

"Gene. You came after me."

Her heart was dancing in her chest, and she wanted more than anything to get up and embrace him, but she couldn't. Gene smiled back, but with less feeling, as he knelt down beside her and freed her from the ropes. "Sure did, Bolls."

As soon as her arms were free, she wrapped them around his neck, breathing in the smell of whiskey. She'd have missed that, funnily enough.

Alex, finally, realized something was wrong. "What's the matter?"

Gene sighed and pulled away from her. "Michael shot Shaz."

* * *

"She'll be fine, Bolls. It was just a shoulder wound."

"I know. But it's Shaz."

"Yeah, I know."

They both looked at Shaz's face one more time as they left the hospital room.

"She saved my life."

"Yeah. Good thing that sick creep couldn't keep his mouth shut during that phone call."

Alex smiled slightly. Michael had knocked her out with chloroform in his car, and she'd woken up in that room, so she had had no idea where she was. But luckily for Alex, he hadn't been as secretive as he should have been. When he had called Shaz in CID, he had not only revealed the location of Rebecca's grave, but another vital piece of information.

"She'll die where Rebecca did. She'll die on the same floor."

Alex couldn't believe he had held her captive in Rebecca's apartment- so obvious, the police would never have thought of it.

At least, they wouldn't have if it weren't for Shaz.

_I wonder why she didn't mention that before, _Alex thought. _She probably didn't want to scare me... or maybe she wasn't even sure it was about me. I'll have to ask her when she wakes up._

Alex sighed. She, obviously, knew how it felt to be in a coma, and she knew it wasn't fun. The nights she usually spent at Luigi's were now spent here, at Shaz's side. Most of the time, Gene accompanied her, even though he believed, in his words, that it was a "load of bollocks".

"She can't tell we're there, you know," he'd mumbled.

"She can. Trust me," Alex had growled, closing the subject.

They walked down the hallway in comfortable silence for a while, before Gene spoke.

"I haven't forgiven you yet, by the way."

Alex stopped. "What for?"

"Handing yourself over to Michael."

Gene stopped too, and looked her right in the eyes.

"I did it to save your life," she said, annoyed.

"You're not doing me any favors getting yourself killed, Bolls. And I know this is going to sound stupid before I say it, but I'd rather die myself."

Alex smiled warmly, touched. Gene frowned. "Don't look so pleased. It's not a good thing, it's extremely inconvenient. Having to go after you all the time. It's not my fault I'm-"

"What?"

Gene cursed himself, before walking off down the corridor and through the front of the hospital.

"Nothing."

Alex giggled and started to follow after him.

"No, tell me, what?"

"Drop it, Bolls."

"Not until you tell me!"

Gene sighed in exasperation. "You're impossible."

Alex caught up to him, and took his arm, smiling. "So are you."

And the two stepped outside, into the cold night air.

* * *

_Alex and Gene stood talking in the corridor, just after interviewing Michael_.

_"I never said you were stupid. Just... feminine."_

_Alex laughed. "So, we let him go?"_

_"Fine."_

_Alex started to walk away. Gene called after her._

_"You're also emotional!"_

_Alex laughed again as she opened the door to CID, and as the door closed Gene yelled something else after her._

_"But I love you anyways!" he called, without thinking._

_She never heard him._

_But she knew._


End file.
